Throttle twist grip controllers have been known in the art for controlling the speed and acceleration of a variety of machines such as, for example, personal motor craft, all-terrain vehicles, and a variety of two-wheeled powered vehicles including, for example, internal combustion engine powered vehicles or electric bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles.
The control circuitry associated with these throttle controllers has included the use of potentiometers for sensing the position of the throttle. A potentiometer is similar to the volume control used in radio and television receivers. A voltage is applied across the extreme ends of a resistor. An intermediate tap is provided between the two extreme ends of the resistor. The tap is mechanically linked to the device which is to be sensed, such as the throttle valve, and the position of the device is determined by the voltage at the intermediate tap. Thus, a precise position of a throttle may be determined by linking it to a potentiometer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,230 discloses one such handlebar throttle controller embodiment which uses a potentiometer.
The control circuitry associated with these throttle controllers has also included the use of magnet/Hall effect technology for sensing the position of the throttle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,923 discloses one such handlebar throttle controller which uses a magnet/Hall effect sensor type controller.
Although currently available throttle controllers with potentiometers or magnet/Hall effect technology have proven satisfactory, there remains a need for simpler and more cost effective throttle twist grip controller assemblies.